RDN to allow advertising on buses

Advertising will again be allowed on BC Transit buses in the regional district, effective immediately.

The Regional District of Nanaimo Transit Select Committee was informed that the defective paint issue that was causing bubbling and lifting around ads on the buses has been resolved.

Last September, the committee stopped advertising on its transit buses after concerns were raised about the potential long-term damage and cost resulting from use of the defective paint.

Since then, the RDN has been working with BC Transit and New Flyer, the supplier and manufacturer of the compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, to resolve the paint issue. To date, four buses have been repaired at the RDN Transportation facility and the remaining buses with the paint issues will be repaired over the next four months.

Based on the repairs completed on the four buses, BC Transit advised the RDN it is satisfied with the measures taken by New Flyer to address the paint defect problem, and that advertising could resume immediately.

The RDN receives 35 per cent of gross revenue from the deal between BC Transit and Lamar Advertising, which has the contract to sell advertising space on the exteriors of the BC Transit buses, including those in the RDN.

Since there was no advertising allowed on the CNG buses, no revenue was received in 2017. In the past, the RDN received $35,608 in 2014, $42,179 in 2015 and $24,597 in 2016. In 2018, the RDN forecasts bus advertising revenue to be between $20,000 and $30,000.

The RDN Transit Select Committee has advised BC Transit that the regional district is also permitting exterior bus advertising on its conventional transit fleet.

Columbia Valley RCMP and search and rescue members from Columbia Valley, Golden, Cranbrook, Kimberley and Creston, and the Police Dog Service are currenlty searching for a missing Cranbrook woman in the Jumbo Pass area.